Harbinger
by Andrew Romero
Haste the day the
harbinger comes
With songs of loyalty
and triumph
The sounds of life
exude pain
The silence of
existence is eternal
Death saddles his
horse
At the living’s
lamentation
He rides unto the
cradle
Listening for Ataturk
Upon release he
kneels
In respect for the
deceased
At this he takes them
within his bosom
Thrashing they vie
for life
His icy embrace calms
their tenacious fire
The horseman rides on
To father time, with
emptied hourglass
Onwards he rides unto
oblivion
Copyright 2012 Andrew Romero
Copyright 2012 Andrew Romero
My son Andrew recently turned 18 and will graduate from high school this year. Sigh...expect to see some nostalgic mama writes from me. He writes poetry and wrote this piece a few months ago. Also, he predicted, on the day of the Super Bowl last year, that the Seahawks would play in the Super Bowl this year. Poet and possibly prophet? Proud mama, no doubt.
and a proud mama you SHOULD be!
ReplyDeleteHe makes it easy...thanks Steph!
DeleteHandsome and talented. this is SO good. Doesn't it make you smile when you can connect with them this way? I would be proud too.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much :-) It is such a cool blessing to be able to connect with him in this for sure.
DeleteThe harbinger/horseman image, I love. Very Middle Earth and mystical; and would have enjoyed exploring that a bit myself. But I think that is one of those themes for youth, who have much more of a stake in what is and what may be and what could be. There's a lot to ponder here. Lyrical and lovely lines. "The sounds of life exude pain The silence of existence is eternal" - profound and really resonates. Well done.
ReplyDeleteHe is going to love your comment Wendy. I do think you are right about the theme...perfect for the age. And it conjures up all that bit of fantasy and history that I enjoy too.
Deleteto father time with an empty hourglass....very cool line that....nice...its so cool when our kids write poetry too...it is interesting the theme as well as it allows you to see what weighs on the hearts of this generation...and nice on the prediction as well..
ReplyDeleteThe 'father time' line is my favorite of the piece. It really is cool to get a glimpse of things through their eyes. I am so often marveling. And go Hawks! :)
DeleteI agree with the "Middle Earth" comment. Growing up, I read high fantasy quite often, and this really captured those mythic tones.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jack, I think he captured that well too.
DeleteWhat a great poem, love the mythic implications as well. My youngest daughter will be graduating next year, that really tugs at my heart. They grow so fast.
ReplyDeleteThey do grow up so quickly...I often find myself wondering 'how did we get here?'
Deletekudos and congrats.here's hoping to see more lovely poems from both...
ReplyDeleteThank so much Abin, your words are encouraging. :-)
DeleteVery good, reminds me of some fantasy stuff I've read over the years, quite mature. Tell him congrats!
ReplyDeleteThis is a challenging time from both mamma and son... pride and grieving miss for what has passed, for the unknown mystery the horseman will travel into. My daughter graduated from high school last year and is now in college. I still cry after she goes back from school breaks... I'm proud of her, happy she is happy with her "new" life... but always a bit sad to watch her go.
ReplyDeleteOh I know I will be there soon right along with you!
DeleteMy daughter started college this fall... it is a challenging time of change... pride yes, and grieving... especially for mamma.
ReplyDeletesomething so sad yet energetic.in this, and yes,very middle earth
ReplyDeleteI do feel that too...
DeleteIsn't it great to see your son writing poetry, following in your footsteps? I would be thrilled (as I know you are)! That last stanza is really stunning!
ReplyDeleteIt makes my heart smile! Thanks Mary!
DeleteLovely write. Proud mama moment ....indeed you deserve it!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Kiana! :)
Delete"to father time with an empty hourglass" This line stands out to me, a really wonderful write.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to point him to your blog Tatius...I do believe he would enjoy your style.
DeleteI like the image of death saddling his horse... you should be proud. How exciting to have a son who writes poetry!
ReplyDelete'Death saddles his horse' is my second fav line of the piece! I love being able to talk about poetry with him and read his stuff. It's so fun!
DeleteI love the empty hourglass line so much, too. A fantastic poem. Wonderful that he writes poetry, too - and so well! A time of big change, for sure - but it looks like you have done a fantastic job. Look at his open, confident happy face. Andrew, keep shining!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel like, wow, my kids are actually turning out to be great men...inspite of me! Thanks so much Sherry.
DeleteWow...isn't it something to be proud of...Congo!
ReplyDeleteThanks Panchali! :-)
DeleteI read this to my kids and it resonated with them both; I liked it as well, especially the thrashing followed by the calm. We do want to know, is Andrew's Ataturk the historic "Father of the Turks" or a middle mythic earthian?
ReplyDeleteSo cool you shared it with your kids! Yes Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the first president of Turkey...Andrew read your comment and I think he is going to respond with more detail. Thanks Libby, really enjoyed your piece this week--gave me a big grin :)
DeleteActually yes, my Ataturk is one and the same. I found him very inspirational in the writing of this poem. I was researching Lamentations (the meaning of the word not the bible book.) And while doing so I found that Ataturk's last words were "It is time." Which also inspired my entire last stanza.
DeleteA superb piece of writing for a boy who has not yet fully stepped out upon the path of life. Great expectations ahead I would think.
ReplyDeleteEileen
A wonderful compliment Eileen!
DeleteAn excellent poem! You have every right to be a proud mama--thank you for sharing with us :-) Can completely relate to how the time flies--my youngest just moved out. Wow, where did it go?
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting on it Sara! Can't believe how quickly the time does go...
DeleteA fine-looking and talented lad!
ReplyDeleteHe is, isn't he?
DeleteHe inherited your talent, clearly.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kim. :)
DeleteThanks for all the compliments everyone! They mean a lot to me. I hope to start writing more often and continue my blog.
ReplyDelete